8 Ways To Prevent Plumbing Problem

It is important for everyone to acquire at least basic plumbing skills. Perhaps this idea even crossed your mind earlier, but you did not invest time or may be did not show much interest. If you are of the wrong notion that acquiring plumbing skills is very time consuming and/or very difficult, then this is not true. In fact, learning how to put off some plumbing problem like leaks, clogged drains, and bursting pipes is very simple if you use the right tools. Both new and old home need year round plumbing attention and you always need to be watchful for any signs of plumbing trouble.

Plumbing services can be quite expensive. If homeowners are careful they can do lots to avoid plumbing problems and thus reduce the number of times you have to call professional plumbers to help you with your pipes, drains and other plumbing features. If you know few actions and have some knowledge of the plumbing job, you easily will be able to stay away from various plumbing problems that may end of soaking your entire bathroom. Without wasting any time, let us straightaway get to learn about 8 ways to prevent plumbing troubles at your home.

1. Leaky toilet
Toilet repairs take the number one position as far as plumbing problems are concerned. Even though the toilets do not themselves tire out, but the working parts present inside them definitely can. Leaks are quite common, and just a single leaking toilet can waste about 78,000 galloons of water in one year, which is enough to fill up your backyard pool.

If you notice any leak in your toilet, you simply need to just pour few drops of food color into the tank of your toilet, and let it stay that way overnight. Next morning, if you notice the color in your toilet bowl, then you do have a leak, and you just need to put back your flash valve, which is a very simple job, will need just a little time and a little investment.

2. Clogging bathroom tub, sink drain or shower
Your bathroom drains may get clogged quite easily with soap residue and hair. This, together with being a common plumbing problem, is also a cluttered one. If you want to avoid a flooded bathroom, make sure you clear the way using a wet or dry vacuum. This is quite a simple thing to do, so do it on time, or else you will need to invest your precious time on extraction using an auger.

3. Backup kitchen sink
Cooking oil or grease can gunk up your kitchen sink pipes, and lead to serious plumbing problems. To avoid this, you need to be careful with your waste disposal, and cover your sinks with strainers, so that errant items are caught and your pipes stay clean. At times, the drain should be flushed with some boiling water, as this will help to soften collected grease and soap.

4. Main water valve
The plumbing system of your home might have many, many valves, but if you are properly aware of the position of only one, you can actually save lots of money that would be needed to repair a damaged home. It is your main water valve through which the water flow into your entire home is regulated, and it is very important for it to work the right way if you want to prevent any disaster.

If any plumbing problem does occur, and you want to avoid your home experiencing severe flooding, then go and search for your main water valve, which usually is situated at your home’s lowest level, close to the street. Now, test this valve to ensure it turns off correctly. Write “main valve” on a big tag and suspend it from the handle of the valve, so that every member of your family will be able to locate it easily before there is a flood. If your house will be vacant for a long duration, then it will be better to shut the valve off before you leave, to avoid big plumbing problems when you come back.

5. Laundry connection
Yet another plumbing point, which can invite trouble, is your washing machine’s rubber connection hoses. This in fact can be the entire system’s weakest link. These hoses might dry out and then burst, allowing galloons of water to move into your house. If you want to prevent this from happening, check your hoses regularly for any cracks or blisters, and do not forget to turn off your washer’s water supply valves before you leave home for a prolonged time.


6. Outdoor faucets
Throughout the year, you need to be watchful of the outdoor faucets, to ensure that they are not watering your property without you even being aware of it. Also, make sure you make any replacements and repairs as and when needed.

7. Water heaters
Water heaters are important for every household, but if it leaks, breaks down or bursts, then you need to be ready to face a waterlogged disaster. The water heater must be checked frequently for any leakage at the tank fittings, or indications of rusting, and if you do find any such problem, call home a professional plumber for a proper check to decide if you need a replacement or repair.

8. Old Pipes
Depending on your home’s age and water lines that run to it, if pipes have been made using very old materials it can lead to blockage and leaks. Old waste lines made of terra cotta can be surrounded by roots and get broken, and steel pipes may rust and create a build up, which can ultimately reduce the water pressure extremely, or might lead to bursting.

You can repair broken down piping by two methods – relining, in which damaged pipes can be left as it is but shall be lined with fiber glass-reinforced epoxy. The next one is pipe bursting, where using a certain machine a replacement pipe is pulled through your old pipe. The old pipe is divided separately to make space for a new one.

Being aware of some plumbing tactics will always prove to be beneficial for you. If you have the right knowledge of plumbing problems and have the tools you need to correct them, prevention will become quite easy. It will minimize the need to call a professional plumber, and thus will also save you lots of money in the long run.